Soma aiming for Doha gold; Sushmita stong competition

Kolkata, Sep 1 (UNI) Heptathalon specialists Soma Biswas and Sushmita Singha Roy took bright steps towards qualifying for Doha Asian Games with record feats in the State Athletic Meet here.

Soma Biswas yesterday scored a meet record in 100 mts hurdles clocking 13.8 secs, and breaking her own meet record of 14 secs.

Sushmita touched that mark and levelled herself at the 14 secs mark.

Soma was happy with her timing. ''I was aiming at a sub-14 sec timing and its good to have achieved that. But I need to improve on it. Besides, with an athlete like Sushmita on my heels its always an added impetus to run faster.'' Sushmita said, ''I was slow off the blocks and that made the difference. But Soma is a great athlete and very difficult to beat.'' Coach Kuntal Roy is very hopeful about the duo making it to the Desert City next year. There are only two places and the duo will have to fight for their place with J J Shobha, who is training in Ukraine under a Russian coach.

''Shobha is a very talented athlete and she can be an extremely tough opponent to beat. But the way my wards are doing I am very hopeful,'' he said.

Soma for one would like to better upon her silver in the last Asian games in Heptathalon into Gold that could also be her swansong.

Athletic Federation of India has put the cut-off mark at 5800 points. Sushmita notched her best of 5872 in New Delhi Fed Cup, while Soma scored 5765 in the same meet. But the duo are expected to touch the 6000 point mark before Doha.

''I have told them repeatedly that in order to win they have to consistently try to touch the 6000 point mark. I am hopeful that they would do that by December,'' he said.

There is enough time for them to make their impression as they have the National Open at Jamshedpur in October. ''If they fail there, they have the Chennai meet. The inter-state railways meet is also there next month apart from the inter-state three circuit meets,'' Kuntal said.

Soma looked upbeat after the event. Though she is quite a way behind her best of 13.62 secs, she knows she will deliver, ''Hurdles is the first event in heptathelon and I always want to give my best in that. I will need to improve on this mark.'' Asked about her chances of qualifying, she said, ''I will try very hard. But Sushmita and Shobha are tough competitors.'' ''I would surely love to go to Doha and do one better than the last Asian games,'' said Soma, who also came second in Shot put throwing 12.53 mts.

The sultry athlete was quitely confident and will dig dip into her wealth of experience to get the best out for Doha. Sushmita, lanky and focussed, made no bones in admitting, ''Both Sobha and Soma are seasoned athletes and it will be difficulot to upstage them. but I will give my best.'' The state meet does not have heptathelon as a discipline.

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